Another Family Secret
by MullerLowLife
Summary: Melissa Raccoon has had to deal with the fact that she is a part of a dying family tree, and has been trying to search for any possible lost family members for years. Much to her dismay, her search seems fruitless...but one day, she receives a phone call from a strange man who claims to be her long lost relative. Who is this man, and what exactly does he want with Melissa...?
1. Chapter 1: Don't You Feel Small

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** Well, it's been a long time since I've really sat down and written much.. _._ I honestly haven't felt much like writing lately. It's been for various reasons...some writing-related, such as lack of motivation or lack of ideas (hence why " _Growing Up_ ", Melissa's tale of her younger years in life, has gone on hiatus for the time being...I'll get back to it again in the future, though!), and some personal (my grandmother died from cancer recently, and I had to go and visit her in her final weeks of life...it wasn't pleasant seeing a loved one suffer like that in their final days). So I hope you'll understand why I haven't written very much lately.

However, my recent trip to visit my dying grandmother has gave me some inspiration for a story idea that's been in the back of my mind for quite a while now...I honestly intended for this storyline to be a major part of a future sequel to "Beat the Clock", but when I really thought about it, I think it's strong enough to stand as its own separate story...Melissa has been hoping perhaps she could find any lost relatives of hers, but alas, she's had no luck, and she's resigned herself to the fact that she and her young son Michael are the last two living members of the Mulligan family...but, one day, things change when a strange man who lives far away calls her claiming to be a relative of hers...What will happen in this story? I won't spoil much (I'm going to be cutting back on all these Author's Notes from now on!)...you'll just have to see what happens! I don't think this will be a long story (8-9 chapters is my guess)...hopefully I can get this one written fairly quickly! Anyways, since this is going to be a multi-chapter tale, onto the amazing legal disclaimer now...

 ** _The Most Wonderful Legal Disclaimer Of The Year!:_** _I do not, nor will I ever, own the rights to the Raccoons or any characters from the shows. They belong to Kevin Gillis and Skywriter Media and Entertainment Group, not me. (I wish I **could** say I owned the rights to the characters, but I'd be a **foolish** man to ever believe it could happen...) I do not intend to make any profits off of this fanfic (as I'm 100% sure that would be grounds for me to be sued into rags). A few original characters will appear in this fanfic (for some, this is their debut appearance); they are the property of myself and myself alone. Use any of my characters without my permission and I will track down your personal information, appear at your front doorstep in person, and bash your skull in with a baseball bat (only kidding, but seriously, **PLEASE** ask my permission first if you ever want to use an original character of mine...) A few songs may appear in this fanfic; I don't own the rights to any of them either, as they belong to their respective copyright owners. Any and all resemblance to real life people, be they living or dead, is unfortunate, but most likely **VERY** much intentional! Sheesh, I wish I didn't have to write these..._

And now, with that out of the way, I hope you'll enjoy:

 ** _ANOTHER FAMILY SECRET_ -A Raccoons Fanfic**

 **CHAPTER ONE: _Don't You Feel_** _ **Small**_

TO SAY Melissa Raccoon lived a very happy, fulfilling life would be definitely be quite an understatement.

First of all, Melissa has a career that she really and truly loves: she's the longtime photographer for the local newspaper, the _Evergreen_ _Standard_. She co-owns the paper with her husband, and though they've always been a small local paper, they've really seen it grown over the years. When they first started the paper many years ago, they ran it out of a old, small, wooden shack. Melissa only had a small darkroom to develop her photos in. Now, the _Standard_ operates out of a considerably larger, roomier office building, and Melissa has her very own photography lab, as well as her own assistant.

Along the way, she has published numerous books of her best photographs-with the aid of her hubby-and has received quite a fair bit of attention and praise in the media world. Over the years, many newspapers, magazines, and online publications have asked her to leave the _Standard_ to come and work for them. Though the offers may at times be somewhat tempting, in her heart, Melissa knows she'll never leave the Forest behind, as the place and her friends and family are far too dear to her...

Melissa also has the support of a loving husband. She has been married to Ralph Raccoon for many years now-over twenty, to be precise. Ralph and Melissa met when they were in college, and dated for a couple of years before they tied the knot. Ralph is certainly not every woman's ideal man...he's definitely far from the most handsome guy around, as he's pretty stocky in build and fairly average in appearance. But Melissa doesn't really care...she still thinks he is handsome in his own way.

Plus, she knows Ralph has a very good heart. In the past, he seemed to spend more time focusing on his career than on her, but now that they are an older and more mature couple, he's more attentive to her than he was in those days. He always tries his hardest to spend quality time with her and let her know he appreciates her. If Melissa ever has a bad day or feels upset, she knows he'll always be there to try to cheer her up. Likewise, if Ralph needs encouragement, she'll always be there to give him that extra little confidence boost. More than anything else, Melissa loves Ralph for his kindness and generosity. Though they may have their disagreements sometimes, they know in their hearts they'll always be together.

Melissa considers herself especially fortunate to have _two_ special men in her life; that other man being her young son, Michael. For many years, the thought of having children never really crossed Melissa's mind; she was more focused on her photography career, and just enjoying her life with Ralph. But when a baby boom occurred in the Forest, her mind began to change, and soon she realized she wanted to have a child herself. Though it took a while to convince Ralph that becoming parents was a good idea, ultimately, it paid off as Melissa eventually became pregnant. While pregnancy wasn't the most pleasant experience for her, it ended up being worth it when she gave birth to Michael nine months later. Though she was given plenty of medicine to dull the pain of child birth, she can still remember how her eyes teared up and her heart melted when she got to hold her new son for the first time...

Michael was a very small raccoon when he was born...he fit pretty easily into the palms of Ralph and Melissa's paws. Michael has really grown a _lot_ since then; he is now seven, going on eight, years old, and continues to grow more and more with the passage of time, although he is still small for his age. Michael is a very bright, sweet, and curious little child, although he can be somewhat shy and nervous in unfamiliar situations. He always loves to help out if he can, although he isn't always able to do so. And Melissa absolutely _adores_ him with all her heart. She personally feels that having Michael is a bigger and prouder accomplishment than any photo she's taken, and she's always there for him when he needs her. Michael can sometimes get himself into trouble, but she knows that for the most part, he's a very good boy, and she's proud of him for that. Whenever she hears his adorable little laughter or sees his bright smiling face gazing up at her, it _never_ fails to warm her heart. Melissa _truly_ relishes being a mother, and she wouldn't trade that for anything else in the world.

Yes, Melissa certainly has a wonderful life. She has practically everything that a woman could ever want to have; indeed, many of the Forest's other women are somewhat envious of her happy life. Things seemingly couldn't be any more perfect for her...

And yet, not all is happy in Melissa's world...for there is one thing in her world she wishes she could have that she never really got to have...

* * *

It was a early summer evening in the Evergreen Forest, about the first week of June or so. It had been quite a pleasant day for Ralph and Melissa Raccoon, and now, things were unwinding for them at the Raccoondominium...

Melissa Raccoon sat on the sofa in the living room, watching TV. Peanut, her son's little bulldog, was sleeping on the couch next to her, snoring somewhat loudly as she drowsed. Melissa really wasn't paying all that much attention to the TV show that was airing, however...she was thinking about what happened earlier today...

" _I'm glad that Michael had a lot of fun at his Grandma's today,_ " Melissa smiled. The couple had the day out from work today, and so, Ralph decided to take Michael over to his mother Millie's house to play for the day. Melissa hadn't gone along with them, however, as she had plans of her own, so Ralph and Michael told her about when they all got back home. " _Millie really likes seeing her littlest grandson,_ " Melissa thought to herself. " _She doesn't have a lot to look forward to in her life anymore other than visits from her sons and grandchildren...I'm sure that really made her day._ " Speaking of Michael, he was currently upstairs taking a bath before he went to bed. " _That reminds me...when Michael gets out of the tub and gets ready for bed, I should talk to him more about his time with his Grandma..._ "

Melissa took a quick glance at her arms. The reason she hadn't gone with her husband and son to visit Millie today was because she had gone to the gym today with Nicole to work out and get some exercise. Melissa had put on a lot of extra baby weight from having Michael, and so, not long after she gave birth to him, she started going to the gym to work it off and try to get back to her old weight. She ended up enjoying it so much that she now frequented the gym once or twice a week. Ralph didn't object to her going off; after all, they _did_ love spending time together, but it was always nice for them to have some time apart. Melissa glanced at her arms and legs again and smiled at what she saw; her exercise was really working wonders on her body. She was quite a bit more muscular than she used to be; particularly in her forearms and thighs. " _Ralph really loves my muscles,_ " giggled Melissa to herself. " _He really likes seeing me in such great shape..._ "

At that moment, a familiar face appeared on the TV screen: a handsome-looking lemming walked into a comfortable looking room and sat down in a sleek recliner, beside the fire. He began to speak to the TV audience.

"Hello," quipped the lemming, "I'm Lance Lemming. No doubt you probably remember me from other such brilliant infomercials as the Do-It-Yourself Home Brain Surgery Kit and the Tornado-Be-Gone 9000. Now today, I'd like to introduce you to..."

"Oh boy," Melissa uttered under her breath. Back when she was a teenager, Lance Lemming was one of the hottest men in all of Hollywood, appearing in many top blockbusters alongside his real-life girlfriend, the fabulous Ingrid Bellamour. Many women adored Lance back in those days; Melissa being one of them. " _I remember how I used to have a big poster of him hanging right on my bedroom wall,_ " she chuckled. Alas, Lance had _totally_ lost his marbles over the years; he was now _hopelessly_ washed-up, and eccentric beyond belief. He appeared all over the place: in bizarre plays, in low-budget movies, in TV infomercials, in instructional videos...anything to try to stay relevant. " _It's sad to see how some people change with age..._ " mused Melissa.

At that moment, a very familiar voice called from upstairs. "Mom!" It was the voice of her young son. "I'm ready for bed now!"

"Okay, honey!" Melissa cheerfully called back up to her boy. "I'll be right up in a minute." She was relieved her son had called for her; she really didn't want to sit through another Lance Lemming infomercial. With that, Melissa got up and walked towards the dining room, where Ralph was seated thumbing through the latest edition of the _Standard_.

"Ralph," said Melissa to her hubby, "I'm going upstairs to put Michael to bed. Then I'll probably take a spin in the shower. Care to go up too, sweetie?"

Ralph glanced up from his newspaper. "Oh, that's fine. I'll be upstairs in a minute. I'm just looking over our latest edition to see how well everything came together. I promise I'll be up in a few minutes, okay?"

Melissa didn't mind; she knew Ralph always liked to see if their paper came out well. "That's fine, dear. I guess I'll be going, then..." With that, Melissa turned around, headed back through the living room, and began to advance her way up the stairs. As she did, Peanut the bulldog leaped off the couch and began to follow her up the stairs...

Soon, Melissa arrived at Michael's room; the room that had once been Bert's when he lived with them. Sure enough, Michael was already in bed, dressed up in his blue pajamas and clutching his stuffed Pikachu plush doll.

"I'm all ready, Mom," smiled Michael at his mother.

"I see," Melissa beamed at her son. "Did you remember to wash behind your ears?"

"I did," the young raccoon nodded cheerfully.

"And you _did_ remember to brush your teeth really well, right?" she asked, just wanting to make sure.

"Of course I did!" Michael chirped. "I even remembered to floss my teeth after I finished!"

"That's a good boy," Melissa patted her kit on the head. "You know, you have such perfect little teeth; I'd hate to see them all full of cavities..."

"I don't think that'll happen!" giggled Michael. He then looked around the room. "Say, where's Peanut?"

Melissa didn't know. "She was downstairs on the sofa with me...I don't know if she's still there, though..." No sooner had she finished her statement, then Peanut promptly appeared in the bedroom and leaped onto her young master's bed, greeting him with a kiss.

"Hey, hey!" laughed the little kit. "Cut it out, Peanut! I like you too, but it's almost bedtime. You need to calm down!" Peanut promptly laid down right beside Michael, allowing him to scratch her behind his ears. Her small stubby tail wiggled all the while...

Michael then turned his attention back to his mother. "Mom? How did your day at the gym go?"

"Oh, I think it went pretty well, honey," chuckled Melissa, glancing at her arms once again. "I think you can tell it's really working out for me, can't you?"

Michael definitely noticed his Mom's muscles. "I think so; you're pretty strong, Mommy!"

"I think I could pick both you _and_ Peanut up together," his mother laughed. "Although, I don't think that would be the best idea!"

Michael couldn't help but laugh too; mother and son shared a good laugh together. "So, Michael, how did you enjoy your visit to your Grandma's today?" she changed the subject.

"I had fun," beamed Michael, "Grandma's really old and she can't do very much. But she showed me how to play Monopoly today. Maybe we could play that game together?"

"Perhaps someday, if I can find a copy of it at the store..."

"Grandma also told me a lot of stories from when Daddy was my age," explained her son.

"What did she tell you about your father?" wondered Melissa.

"She told me that when Dad was my age, he thought babies came from a turnip patch," Michael informed her. "One day, Dad and Uncle Bert went looking for the turnip patch because he wanted a baby brother. Grandma was really worried and had to look all over the Forest to find Daddy!"

Melissa couldn't help but giggle a little; she remembered Ralph telling her that story before. It was certainly quite an amusing tale. "You know, when I was little like you, honey, I thought babies hatched from eggs," she told her son.

"You did?"

"Yes, I did!" Melissa chuckled again. "Do _you_ know where babies come from, Mikey?"

Michael thought for a moment. "You told me I came from you! That's what you told me, right?"

"That's right," Melissa patted her son on the head once more. "You _did_ come from me. Do you remember those pictures I showed you from when you were inside my belly?" Seeing as Melissa thought Michael was old enough now, she recently showed her young son her pregnancy photos and explained a little more about how he came to be; he'd known he came from his parents, but not much more than that...

"I think so," the young raccoon nodded his head. "I can't remember that, though..."

"No one _does_ remember being inside their mother, Michael," replied his mother. "I don't think that's something you would _want_ to remember! I remember it, though, and it's a very special memory to me. I was very excited knowing I was going to have you...you know, I'm _really_ glad I got to have you for a son..." Melissa smiled lovingly as she placed an arm around her young kit.

Michael glanced admiringly up at his mother. "I'm glad you're my Mommy, too," he smiled as the two shared a hug.

There was one thought in the back of Michael's mind that was nagging away at him...he wasn't sure if he should ask his mother about it or not, seeing as he thought it _might_ upset her. But he was a very curious little child, and _did_ want to know what his mother would say..."Mommy?" Michael asked her as their hug came to an end.

"What is it, honey?"

"Mom, you know I've gotten to meet so much of Daddy's family..." Michael began, a little nervously.

"You certainly have," Melissa nodded, though she was more than a little curious as to what he was trying to tell her.

"Well, Mommy...why haven't I met any of your family?" he innocently asked his mother.

Melissa knew it was only an innocent question, and yet that question really _stung_ her. She hadn't told Michael very much about her side of the family or his Mulligan family heritage. Melissa had told him about her father-his grandfather-but very little else. She didn't know if she should tell him that the two of them were the last living members of their family tree...

Michael noticed the frown on his mother's face. "Mommy...what's wrong?" He had a feeling that question _was_ going to upset her...

"Michael..." Melissa slowly began. She didn't _want_ to tell him, but she knew it was probably for the best to let him know about it...after all, he _did_ ask. It was probably better to tell him _now_ rather than wait until he was older. "Michael...I'm sorry to say...I...I _don't_ have a family, Mikey..."

Michael was confused. How could his mother not have a family? She told him she had a father, after all; wouldn't it make sense for her to have more family members than that? Perhaps that was why she never told him..."You don't have a family, Mom?"

"Well, I do..." Melissa tried to explain. "But they're not around anymore. They're...they're _gone_ , honey..."

Now Michael seemed to understand what his mother was trying to say; he knew what death was as his parents already explained it to him..."Do you mean they're all...they're all dead, Mom...?"

"I'm afraid so," sighed Melissa heavily. "All except for you and me. We're the last two members of my family left..."

"Only you and me?" Michael felt sad hearing that; especially knowing he would never get to meet any of her relatives.

"That's right," Melissa sighed once more. "You see, _that's_ part of why you're so special to me. You're my only relative; you're a little hope for my family. You understand, right...?" Michael was a bright child for his age, but she didn't know if he _could_ understand such a situation.

"I think so, Mom..." Michael glanced up at her with sadness in his eyes. He felt really bad for his mother; he didn't know she was so close to being all alone in the world. He never realized how special he _really_ was to her before now. "I guess that means I can't meet any of your family, then..."

"I _wish_ you could," lamented Melissa, "but you're right, you can't. I _wish_ I could bring them back, but there's nothing I can do..."

"I'm sorry I upset you, Mommy..." apologized her son; he really _hadn't_ meant to upset her.

"No, no, that's alright, honey," Melissa hugged her son once again. "I know you were only curious; I never really told you much about my family. It's probably better that you know that, anyways..."

"I didn't mean to make you feel sad...I didn't know you don't have a family..."

"I know that," Melissa cracked a small smile for her child. "Perhaps someday, I could tell you more about my family? At least my uncle; he's the only one I can really remember..."

Michael was now curious; he wanted to know more about his mother's uncle. But he knew now was probably not the best time to ask more about that. "I think I would like that," he grinned at his mother.

"I wouldn't mind that," Melissa smiled. "Now, it's time for you to go bed, honey. I know you don't have school tomorrow seeing as it's summer vacation, but you still need to get your sleep. You've got plenty of room left to grow, after all!"

"I'm doing my best!" chirped the kit. "Goodnight, Mommy...I love you...and thank you for telling me about your family..."

Melissa leaned down and gave her son a tender kiss right on his cheek. "I love you too, Mikey, with all my heart...I hope learning that doesn't bother you too much. Try to get a good night's sleep, sweetheart," she whispered to him.

"I'll try, Mom..." Michael managed to smile as he rested his head on the pillow and closed his eyes.

"Sweet dreams, my little cutie pie..." Melissa trailed off as she slowly closed the door behind him, stopping for just a moment to smile as her son scratched his now sleeping bulldog's head. She made her way down the hallway, but went past the bathroom and headed straight for her and Ralph's bedroom. She didn't feel like taking a shower just yet...her conversation with Michael filled her mind with so many thoughts...

Melissa opened the door to the bedroom and sat down on the bed, placing her head in her paws. "I know it's for the best that Michael knows about my dying family, but I just wish he _could_ meet some of my relatives...Oh, if only it were possible..." _  
_

Melissa's mind thought of a few years ago, she discovered a genealogy website on the Internet and decided to sign up for it to research her family history a little better. She thought that perhaps the website would help her learn more about who she was, and perhaps find any missing family members she didn't know about. "I thought that maybe, just maybe, that website would tell me that Michael and I aren't as alone as we are..."

Alas, the website hadn't helped a bit. Sure, she had indeed learned so much more about her family history and heritage, but it hadn't turned up any missing family she didn't know about that might still be out there. If anything, it had only _confirmed_ her fears that she and Michael indeed were the last living members of the Mulligan family. Still, she continued to try to search, but no matter how hard she tried, it didn't turn up anything new...and it frustrated her _so_...

"I guess it _is_ true..." Melissa deeply sighed, glancing down at the floor. "Michael and I have _no_ family..."

* * *

Meanwhile, Ralph Raccoon was slowly making his way up the stairs. He was finished looking through the last issue of the _Standard_ ; everything seemed to turn out pretty well with this edition. It was due to be delivered tomorrow..."We all do such a fine job putting her together," Ralph whispered to himself. "Maybe the _Standard_ isn't _the_ greatest paper out there, but I can always sleep comfortably knowing how well done it is..."

Ralph soon passed by the bathroom door in the hallway. He noticed something odd...there was no sound of running water in there. He could have sworn Melissa said she was going to take a shower in there. "Hmm, I wonder why she's not there?" mused Ralph. "Ah, never mind, I think I should go check on Michael and see if he's asleep or not..."

Ralph slowly opened the door to Michael's bedroom, in order to not wake him up should he be asleep. Sure enough, the kit was sound asleep in bed, a smile on his face. He was clutching his Pikachu plush doll in one paw, and the other paw was placed on his sleeping bulldog's head. "Aww, out like a light," Ralph whispered happily to himself. "He looks so peaceful in his sleep..." Moments like these made Ralph wonder how he could _ever_ have been afraid at the thought of having children...and yet, years ago, that had _really_ been the case. "How silly I was to think such a thing..." murmured Ralph. "Michael's one of the best things that ever happened in my life..." No matter what, Ralph knew he would always be there for his little son; he would always be there to lend him a guiding paw when he needed it. "Sleep tight, little guy..." trailed off Ralph as he closed the door.

Ralph then made his way to his bedroom...but he got quite a surprise when he opened the door; there, sitting on his bed with her head in his paws, was his wife. She looked pretty glum about something or other; he could only wonder _what_...

"Honey, what are you doing in here?" asked Ralph. "I thought you were taking a shower...?"

"Oh, I'll take one later. You can go through if you want to; I just wanted to sit in here for a while," said Melissa lowly as she glanced at her husband.

"What's the matter, Melissa?" questioned Ralph worriedly. He didn't _like_ seeing his wife upset; it was so unlike her to feel sad about anything. She was always so bright, cheerful, and spunky...it just didn't seem _right_ to see her sad about something. "Is something bugging you...?"

Melissa didn't really feel like chatting right now. "Oh, it's nothing, dear," she sighed. "I just wanted to sit and think by myself for a little while; that's all. You don't need to worry yourself; go on and take your shower, dear."

Ralph shook his head. "I'm not going to do that just yet; I just want to know what's bothering you," he sat down beside her and draped his warm, loving arm around her. "You can't hide it from me, honey...I can tell by your face that you're upset about something. You _know_ you can tell me what's wrong; I would never laugh at you or call you silly for worrying about something. Besides, perhaps I can make you feel better...?"

Melissa sighed; she knew she would _have_ to discuss this with Ralph, anyways. He was always so insistent on trying to cheer her up if she ever felt down...not that she could complain about that; she always appreciated him being supportive or comforting towards her. That _was_ one of the many reasons why she loved him, after all. "Okay, Ralph...you see, I talked to Michael just before he went to bed, and he asked me something really... _bothersome_ , if you will," explained Melissa.

"Bothersome?" Ralph's curiosity was piqued. "What do you mean, Melissa?"

"He told me how he met so much of your family, but wanted to know why...why he's never met any of _my_ family..." Melissa exhaled sharply.

"Oh..." Ralph knew that had to be a very difficult question for Melissa to be asked; he knew it bothered her knowing that she was part of a nearly-dead family tree. "What did you tell him?"

"I told him," explained Melissa slowly, "that he and I are the last two members of my family left, and that the rest of them are all gone. I told him he wouldn't ever get to meet any of them..."

"That must have been really hard for you to tell him," sympathized Ralph. "But it was probably for the best that you told him...I mean, he _did_ ask, right?"

"That's right," Melissa nodded in confirmation. "He seemed to understand, but I have to wonder how he feels deep down inside knowing that..."

"Hopefully, that won't bother him too much," Ralph tried to be optimistic.

"I hope so..." Melissa sighed again, glancing back down at the floor. "Sweetie...ever since I was a little girl, I've always _wished_ for a real family. My uncle died when I was so little and all I had was my father. Now he's gone and all I have is Michael. I'm going to be forty-five this November...and I _still_ wish I had a real family. I've been wishing that for nearly forty years now...It's kind of depressing knowing you're all alone out there..."

"You're _not_ alone, honey..." Ralph gave her his warmest smile as his gently grabbed hold of her soft paws, lightly rubbing and caressing them in a soothing manner. "Like you said, you have Michael, don't you? Besides, I'm here for you through thick and thin..."

"Ralph.. _._ you're an important part of this family. You're my best friend...my soulmate...my one true companion. You're the father of my only child; I'm _very_ grateful to have you as a part of my life," responded his wife. "But you're _not_ a Mulligan, and you never will be one. I mean, I'm _glad_ you're not a Mulligan; I wouldn't marry _into_ my own family, after all! That would just cause _so_ many problems..." Melissa did have to chuckle at that...

Ralph laughed a bit as well. "For sure; I can't understand why anyone would want to do that. I'd hate to imagine those poor children..."

"But anyways," Melissa steered the conversation back on topic, "you can't be a Mulligan. You'll never know what it's like to be me and have virtually no family at all. I mean, your Mom's still alive; you still have your brother George, and Nicole; and you have Bentley and Lisa too. You also have all those cousins and a few aunts and uncles, too...Ralph, sometimes I _envy_ you..."

"Well, maybe you're not as alone as you think you are," Ralph replied comfortingly, "I mean...you've been checking out that ancestry website quite often, haven't you? Maybe it will turn up something and you'll find that there's more of you out there..."

"Ralph..." Melissa replied sadly, "I've been using that site for _years_ now. It's helped me learn more about my heritage and who I really am...but yet, it hasn't turned up _anything_. I'm beginning to think there are _no_ lost Mulligans out there, sweetie...I think if there were, it would have turned up _something_ by now..."

Ralph was surprised to see his wife so pessimistic; this was certainly outside the norm for her..."Well, you never know, Melissa. You shouldn't just give up your search; maybe something is right around the corner...?"

"Actually, Ralph...I've decided that's what I'm going to..." a depressed Melissa interjected. "I'm giving up my search for my family. I haven't found anything by now, and I doubt I _ever_ will. It's best if I just give up...I guess I just have to accept that Michael and I _are_ alone..."

Ralph could see his wife was on the verge of tears; he definitely noticed her eyes watering up. Ralph absolutely _hated_ seeing his wife so sad..."Awww...Melissa...I'm sorry," he sighed. Ralph let go of her paws and outstretched his arms. "Here, honey..." Ralph whispered. "I'm here..."

Melissa wrapped her arms tightly around her hubby as the married couple shared a tight embrace, a few tears flowing down Melissa's cheeks. Ralph's warm embrace was very comforting, but she still felt pretty sad. "Oh, Ralph...I wish I _weren't_ alone like that..." she sniffled after a couple minutes passed.

Ralph's embrace grew a little tighter as he held her even closer, patting her on the back lightly for reassurance. "Honey...even if you _are_ alone like that, remember that no matter what...you always have two guys who will love you no matter what..."

"I know, Ralph...I know..." Melissa uttered softly as she hurriedly dried her eyes.

"You're so important to me and Michael...without you, I have a feeling that I would be a lonely middle-aged man who never found the love of his life. I don't know if I ever could have found another woman like you...and without you, I don't know if I could ever have the drive to work on the _Standard_...And Michael owes a lot to you too, as well. If not for you...he wouldn't even be _alive_ , would he now...?"

"No, of course not..." Melissa sighed. "I _am_ very fortunate to have two great guys like you in my life..."

"Think of that, honey," Ralph warmly smiled as he loosened his grip on her a bit. "You shouldn't dwell on the fact that your family tree has dwindled to nearly nothing...you should think of all those important to you, and feel proud of how much you mean to them..."

"I know," Melissa managed a smile. "I try not to think about it _too_ often...it's just been bugging and nagging me for such a long time, though..."

"Well, I _really_ did hope you would find more family members through that site because I know how happy it would make you...but if you feel you _really_ should give up, then that's fine...I wish I _could_ help you out, but you've done pretty much all you can...there's nothing I can really do about I could, I would make a new Mulligan family member appear before your eyes, but it doesn't work like that, does it...?"

Melissa thought for a moment. "Actually..." she smiled, thoughtfully, "it _could_ work like that...We could _always_ try to have another child, after all..."

"Oh, that's right...I hadn't thought about that! Hahaha..." Ralph let out a nervous chuckle.

"Ah, but I am probably a little too old for that now...I haven't hit menopause _yet_ , but at my age it is probably a little _too_ dangerous for me to try to get pregnant again..."

"Yeah, I think it's a little late to give Michael a little brother or sister," Ralph remarked.

Melissa changed the subject. "Anyways, thanks for trying to cheer me up, sweetheart...I _do_ feel a little better..."

"No problem, honey," Ralph beamed warmly at her. "Anything to make my special lady feel a little better. I don't like seeing you upset like that, after all...I'm just so _used_ to seeing you so happy and cheerful. That's the Melissa I know and love," he winked at her.

"You do a great job making me feel that way..." Melissa smiled lightly. "I really appreciate that. Hmm, I think I should probably go take my shower now..."

"Actually, honey..." Ralph whispered, his voice taking on a mischievous, cheeky tone, "how about I join you in the shower...? You know, it might help cheer you up a little bit more...plus you never know, you might need a little help washing up in those hard-to-reach places..." he winked suggestively at her.

Melissa rather liked that idea...she and Ralph _always_ loved showering together. Melissa always found shower sex so arousing, so _steamy_ , so very... _hot_. It was one of her favorite places for romance, she thought. Plus, they wouldn't have to worry about Michael waking up and hearing them having a go at it together...for not only would the sound of the running water drown out the sounds of their passion, all the rooms in the Raccoondominium were sound-proofed...It was _very_ hard to resist Ralph's offer to share a little wet, slippery fun together...

"Mmm, you know what, sweetie? I think I would like that very much," purred Melissa as a naughty grin came across her face. "That _would_ help take my mind off things...plus, you _know_ showering together is a great way for us to save a little water. I _know_ you're really keen on conservation, Ralphie boy..." she giggled once more.

"Heheh, exactly," Ralph gave her another flirty wink. "I'm always the environmentalist...So, what do you say?"

"I say, I'd love nothing better right now, Ralph," beamed his wife. "You know, I _really_ love it when you come up with sexy ideas like that, dear..."

"Hey, sometimes a girl deserves to be romanced, doesn't she?" Ralph laughed, taking hold of her paw. "Now, c'mon, what are we waiting for? Let's go wash up together."

"You lead the way, dear," Melissa laughed as the couple got up from the bed and headed towards the bathroom, paw in paw. They were _certainly_ going to have a lots of fun together...Melissa _knew_ she was going to feel a _lot_ better afterwards...Alas, the fact that she still had virtually no family at all would still continue to nag at her, anyways...

But, unbeknownst to Melissa, perhaps she _wasn't_ as alone as she really thought...for she was soon to receive quite an unexpected surprise...

 **END CHAPTER ONE**


	2. Chapter 2: And She's Not Alone

**CHAPTER TWO: _And She's Not Alone..._  
**

A FEW weeks had passed in the Evergreen Forest. Today was a lovely Tuesday afternoon in the middle of June. The sun was shining brightly throughout the coniferous forest. Birds were singing, crickets were chirping, and the temperatures were quite warm...not quite muggy, but still more than warm enough. All in all, it was a perfect day to spend an afternoon outdoors.

But yet, in spite of the beautiful early summer weather, not everyone was in a particularly bright mood. One woman was spending the afternoon indoors, feeling a little down...

Melissa Raccoon sat alone at the kitchen table of the Raccoondominium, drinking a cup of her usual afternoon tea. She had just finished cleaning up the kitchen, and now it was time to sit back and relax a little bit. Ralph had decided to take the day off from their job at the _Standard_ , which she certainly appreciated. She really did love her job as the _Standard_ 's photographer, but it was always nice to have a few days every now and then for relaxation and personal time. She was glad Ralph had started doing this more often over the past decade...

For that matter, there had been a bit of excitement earlier today: their little son Michael's good friend, Chester Marmor, had come to spend a few days at the Raccoondominium. Chester's parents, Don and Shirley Marmor, were celebrating their tenth wedding anniversary, and, on recommendation from some family friends, had decided to visit the Porkono Mountains to celebrate the occasion. Melissa couldn't help but remember how she and Ralph had made just such a trip for their 20th anniversary the previous year. She couldn't help but smile fondly remembering that trip and all the naughty fun she and Ralph had gotten up to in their hotel room together...

Michael had once slept over at Chester's house, and since the two were close, Micheal had eagerly suggested that his friend stay over at his house while his parents were away, since this was a "grown-ups only" trip. Chester had spoken to his parents about his friend's offer, and after a phone call to the Raccoondominium, the Raccoons and Marmors mutually agreed that he could stay with Michael. They had dropped him off earlier this afternoon on their way to Evergreen Station.

Michael was rather delighted that his young friend was going to be staying with him for a few days. Right now, the two kits were upstairs in Michael's bedroom, watching some of his old _Thomas the Tank Engine_ tapes. Chester's parents didn't actually own a television, so he had been really keen on getting to see some with his friend.

Melissa could not help but grin remembering how happy Michael had been to see Chester and how excited he was knowing they would be staying in the same house for the next few days. " _Chester is such a good friend to my little boy,_ " she mused to herself, taking a sip from her teacup. " _I wonder if Ralph and Bert were that close when they were little...?_ " She was certainly glad that even though her little kit had some troubles interacting with others and could be a little shy when meeting new people, he still had a few good friends who would look out for him and care about him. " _Chester's in good paws with us. We'll make sure nothing happens to him..._ "

But then, a frown occupied Melissa's face again. She let out a sigh as she gazed out the window. Sure, it was a lovely day outside, but she just couldn't feel in a particularly bright mood. " _My hunch was right..._ " she sighed again. " _Michael and I really are all that's left of my family..._ "

She couldn't help it; over the past few weeks, her thoughts would periodically return to her family-or rather, her _lack_ of one. Despite all her hard efforts digging around on a genealogy website the past few years, she had turned up nothing. There was no indication that there were any lost members of the Mulligan family out there. She had come to the sad conclusion that must be because there _were_ none, and that meant Michael was her only living family member. Realizing how futile her search had been, she had recently decided to give up her search.

It had been a hard decision for her, but Ralph had supported her choice. Though she felt frustrated that her efforts had been in vain, her husband had reassured her that she had tried her hardest and even if she may not have a family, he and Michael would always be there for her, and she would never have to feel alone. Ralph's words were touching and reassuring, for sure...

"And yet..." Melissa muttered under her breath, "I still can't help but think about it. I can't help but see how Ralph has so many family members to talk to and yet I have none. I will never get to know what it's like to have blood relatives you can talk to every now and then..." She also thought of her little Michael, and how he had asked her a few weeks ago why he had never met any members of her family. She _hated_ having to tell him that they were all dead and buried save for her, and that he would never meet any of them. She hoped it hadn't affected him too much, and it didn't seem to, but one thing she noticed was that he had become more curious about her lost family. He had begun to ask questions about them and what they were like. She told him she would tell him more in due time, but still, he seemed to be really interested in knowing. "I wonder if I should tell Mikey more about my family? He knows a little about my father, but not much else...Should I tell him about my Uncle Scott...?"

Melissa's Uncle Scott had been dead for many years now, a casualty of the Vietnam War, and a big part of the reason why she came to Canada in the first place. She had been just a little younger than Michael was now when he was killed, and so did not honestly have very many memories of him. She tried her best to remember him in happier times, and not think about how fearful Scott had been when he found out he was being drafted into Vietnam service, or of how outstandingly depressing his funeral had been. One thing that bugged her was how Scott had been engaged to be married when he was killed. She only had a few memories of her, but she still remembered her name. " _Emily Thomas_ ," Melissa nodded her head. The weird thing was that after Uncle Scott had been drafted, she never saw her again. Emily had not even shown up at her fiancee's funeral, and Melissa had no clue where she had gone or whatever became of her. All she could remember was her father once telling her that Emily had left town shortly after Scott had been drafted. " _I wonder why she never came to his funeral?_ " she wondered to herself. " _Ah well, it's best not to try to overthink this..._ "

The more and more Melissa thought about it, though, the more she wasn't sure it was a good idea to tell Michael about his family. She knew her son was a bit of a sensitive child and could get upset or have his feelings hurt easily. She wondered if telling Michael about his depressing family past would unintentionally scar his childhood...

It was at that moment that Melissa was interrupted from her thoughts by a warm paw being placed on her shoulder. "Hi, honey," came a gentle voice. It was none other than the voice of her husband, Ralph. He had been in the living room reading a book, but must have gotten up and walked up to her in the kitchen while she had been in the midst of her thoughts.

"Oh, hello, sweetie," Melissa managed to flash a small smile, but it was clearly a bit forced.

"Is something the matter, Melissa? You've been rather quiet today," he observed.

"Oh, nothing's wrong, dear. I've just been doing a lot of thinking today..."

"Thinking about what?" queried her husband.

"Oh, you know. This and that. Nothing that you would find particularly interesting," she remarked, glancing back down at her teacup.

"...I see," responded Ralph, placing his paw to his chin. He couldn't help but feel he knew what was on her mind. "You're thinking about your family again, aren't you...?"

Melissa chuckled. "You know me too well, don't you, dear?" she quipped, taking one last sip from her afternoon cup of tea. "Yeah," she continued, looking a little down again. "Yeah, I have, Ralph. I know it might be silly for me to feel bothered by this, but I _do_..."

"It isn't silly at all, honey," Ralph warmly replied, now taking a seat at the table and placing his arm around her for support. "I know it's always bugged you knowing that you don't have any other living family save for our little Michael. And I know how hard it must be for you to give up in your search," he remarked in his most gentle of tones. "But remember what I told you a few weeks ago? You're not as alone as you think you are. You still have Michael, and I know he'll always love you. And I may not be related to you," he went on, "but you know I will _always_ love you and always be there for you when you need me. Don't worry!"

Melissa did smile; it was always nice to hear Ralph giving her reassurance when she felt upset. "I know that, Ralph, it's just...this is something that has been bothering me for a long time. It's not like it's something that's just gonna go away, you know?"

"I understand," answered her husband kindly. "I imagine if I didn't really have a family like you, it would probably bug me too..." An encouraging smile came across his face. "But you know you can't dwell on that forever. You have a very good life and there's still so much more you can accomplish! I know they may not be alive anymore, but I'm sure your family members would say you've done them proud and they would be honored to have you as part of their family tree."

That was a really thoughtful thing for Ralph to say. Melissa knew her husband was most likely right. She was a very successful and accomplished photojournalist, a loving wife, and a devoted mother. Surely her ancestors would have been proud of what she had done with her life. "Well, that's true, Ralph. I'm sure I'll get accustomed to it in due time, but there is one little thing bugging me..."

"Oh, what's that?"

Melissa stood up from the kitchen table and stretched her arms, grabbing her now empty teacup off the table. "Michael..." she whispered.

"Michael? What about him?" pondered Ralph, getting up as well.

"He knows so little about my side of the family," she sighed as she walked over to the sink and placed the teacup in the suds to soak. "I mean, he is a Raccoon, but he's also a Mulligan too. Yet he knows so much about your side of the family and hardly anything about mine. You remember how he asked me why he never met any of my family?"

"Yes," her husband answered matter-of-factly. "I remember how it bummed you out having to tell him about your family..."

"Well, he's been very curious about my family lately," she sighed, now scrubbing the teacup clean. "You've heard him. He's been asking so many questions about my family members lately. He wants to know more. But I don't know if I _should_. You know my family story, Ralph, it's... _rather_ depressing. I don't want to upset Michael...That's why I've tried to avoid talking too much about them around him..."

"True, it may be depressing, but it _is_ part of who he is. That's your call whether or not you want to tell him about that now, but I do think he has a right to know about _both_ sides of his family..."

Ralph always seemed so logical to her, but Melissa just worried whether or not it was a good idea to let a young child know so many sad family stories at such a young age. She _really_ did not want to discuss or traumatize her little boy..."I know, but I don't want to _upset_ him..." she repeated herself, turning off the faucet and standing aside, facing her husband now.

"Well, it might, but you never know..." Ralph shrugged. "But I do think it would be good for him to have a better idea of who he actually is. Like you said, he mostly just knows one side of his family. Even if he can't meet them, it might be a good learning experience to understand your side of the family more," he smiled. "Of course, that's up for you to decide, not me..."

Melissa did manage to crack a smile. " _You know, I think Ralph's right_ ," she mused privately. " _Sure, it might depress Michael to know how sad a family history he actually has, but then again, it might be better to let him know more. I remember my father didn't spare the details on his traumatic childhood..."_ Still, she wasn't entirely sure if it was a great idea...

"You know, I'll give it a thought, dear," Melissa replied, sounding a little more optimistic. "Thank you for trying to cheer me up, Ralph..."

"Heheh, no problem, as I always say, I know you would do the same for me," Ralph grinned as he outstretched his arms. The raccoon couple shared a gentle hug, Ralph giving his wife a few affectionate pats on the back. "You know, it's a lovely day outside, honey. Melissa...I was thinking...perhaps we could go for a walk through the woodlands together? That always helps ease my mind..."

Melissa and Ralph pulled back from each other a bit. "Hmm, I don't know Ralph..."

"We can take the boys with us, too," beamed her hubby. "Michael always loves to go exploring in the Forest with us. And I think he'd have a lot of fun spending more time playing out in the woods with Chester!"

"Maybe so," Melissa shook her head, "but I honestly don't feel like going for a walk today. I don't know, I'm just not in the right mood, sweetie. I feel like staying around the Raccoondominum today..."

"Oh, I see," Ralph looked a bit disappointed; he thought something like that would help brighten up her day. "You sure?"

"Yeah..." Melissa nodded her head very slowly. "You go on ahead, dear. I think I need some time alone right now...and besides, I remembered I had some things I needed to do around the house." She wasn't making up an excuse; she really did just remember she had some things she wanted to do today.

"Well, okay," her husband agreed as he let go of his wife. While it was always nice to get out and stretch his legs and just enjoy the crisp Forest air, it was definitely more than a bit of a bummer knowing he'd be alone this time. He thought it was a good opportunity to have a nice little family outing together. "What exactly do you have to do, anyways?"

"I think the vegetable garden needs watering," Melissa pointed out the side-window at their garden. "It hasn't rained in a while and I think the tomatoes are looking a bit wilted. I think they need a little more TLC if we're going to pluck any prize-winners at the Fall Fair this year!" she chuckled.

"Ah, I see," Ralph trailed off as he and Melissa walked off into the living room. "Well, I'll only be out for a little while. I was thinking maybe I could go drop by Bert and Maxie's place and see what they're up to..." He opened the front door and stepped out. "See you later, honey," he waved back to her. "Hope you feel better soon!"

"I'm sure I will, be back soon," Melissa cracked a small smile and waved goodbye to her husband, closing the door behind her. With that, she grabbed her sun hat and placed it on her head, tying up her tank top at the same time to make sure it wouldn't get dirty out in the garden. "I suppose gardening could take my mind off my family for a while...or at least clear my head..."

As she walked into the kitchen to fetch her gloves, a thought occurred to her. "Perhaps I should ask the boys if they want to help me out? I know Michael likes tending the garden..."

* * *

Upstairs, Melissa opened the door to her little son's bedroom, the former bedroom of her once-houseguest Bert. She immediately noticed that Michael was sitting on the floor in front of his television set, gazing up at it. And there was Chester on Michael's bed, lying flat on his stomach, kicking his feet back and forth in the air. Peanut, her son's bulldog, was lying on the floor next to the bed, fast asleep. Sure enough, as she had speculated, they were watching one of Michael's _Thomas the Tank Engine_ tapes.

She remembered this was one of the tapes his Aunt Nicole had bought for him at a thrift store in Spruceton for Christmas one year. Melissa remembered this one quite well, it was one of her kit's favorites. In the episode Michael and Chester were currently engrossed in, it had been a cold winter's evening on the Island of Sodor. The engines were snug in their shed, but couldn't get any sleep, so they decided to pass the time by telling a story. Thomas volunteered, and told his friends a story about an old narrow-gauge engine named Duke who worked on the Island many years before. He was the oldest and wisest engine on his railway-named for the Island's resident Duke-and primarily worked with two younger engines named Stuart and Falcon.

Stuart and Falcon were both pretty mischievous, and often found trouble, much to Duke's dismay. Although they did look up to him, they both teased him often by calling him " _Granpuff_ ". Duke decided to keep them in order one day by telling them the story of another engine who worked on the line before them who misbehaved and received a _terrible_ punishment for his lack of behavior. The young engines behaved much better after that, and they spent many years happily working the line.

Unfortunately, things had gone south for the little engines. Eventually, their railway ran out of money, and was forced to close down for good. The engines were auctioned off, and people quickly bought Stuart and Falcon. Nobody, however, wanted Duke as they thought him old and not very useful anymore. Stuart and Falcon promised "Granpuff" he could come live on their new railway some day, but they didn't honestly believe that would ever happen. And so, Duke was left behind. His driver and fireman had placed him in a shed, covered him with a tarp, and said goodbye to him. Duke decided to go to sleep to pass the time...and many years passed. Winter weather caused mudslides to rain down on the shed, and over time foliage buried Duke's shed completely from view. It was as if neither it nor he ever existed...

And that was the end of Thomas' story for this episode. Not all the engines were happy with how it had ended, however.

"' _That's not a happy ending!_ ' _cried Percy._

 _'Ah,' murmured Thomas, 'there **will** be one. But that'll have to wait until next time...'"_

As the images of the engines with their nameboards flashed across the screen-which happened after every single episode, Michael and Chester were discussing what they had watched. They hadn't heard her open the bedroom door...

"Wow, that was really...sad," Chester spoke up, actually looking a little saddened by what he watched.

"Yeah, I know," agreed with his friend. "How could they leave Duke behind? That wasn't fair..."

Melissa had to agree with the two boys; this actually _was_ a pretty sad episode. "It's pretty sad how we treat our elders sometimes, isn't it?" she concurred. Michael and Chester, both surprised, glanced at her. "Hi there, boys," she waved at them.

"Oh!" Michael quickly stopped his tape. "Hi, Mom! We didn't hear you come in!"

"Hello, Mrs. Raccoon," said Chester politely. "Why are you dressed up like that?"

"Oh, you'll see. I just thought I'd come up and check on you two," she explained.

"I have a question, Mrs. Raccoon," the albino kit continued. "What's a 'generator'?"

"Generator?" Melissa was confused by his question, until she realized he was asking about something he had seen in the tape. The poorly-behaved engine Duke had warned the younger locomotives about had been punished by having his wheels removed and being converted into one. "It's a machine that creates electricity, Chester."

"I knew what it meant, Mommy!" Michael smiled brightly.

"Well, I didn't," shrugged Chester. "So they turned Smudger into... _that_..? I hope that doesn't happen to _me!_ " he shuddered.

Melissa giggled a bit. Children could be so silly sometimes. But that was something she liked about them. She missed the days when she was young where it seemed like _anything_ was possible and not beyond the stretch of imagination..."Oh, Chester, you don't have to worry about that. Nobody is going to turn you into a generator. You're a raccoon, not an engine!"

"I don't know..." Chester seemed a little unnerved by that thought.

"Mommy, are you going out to work in the garden?" Michael innocently asked his mother.

"Yes, I am. Good eye, Mikey!" she grinned at him. "Your father just went out for a walk, and I thought I'd water our vegetables while he was out..."

"Can I help, Mom?" Michael jumped up, his eyes lit up. He loved helping his mother out in the garden.

"That's what I was coming up here for! I thought I could use a few young paws to help me out," she chuckled. "I think you boys are just right for the job, huh?"

"Yay!" her son chirped. Chester, however, wasn't so sure.

"I don't know, Mrs. Raccoon. Mama said I shouldn't stay out in the sun so long. I might burn..." It was true. Chester, being an albino raccoon, had no pigment in his skin; he was _far_ more susceptible to getting badly sunburned than most were...

"I understand...but didn't your mother pack your special sunscreen for you?" Melissa asked him. She specifically remembered hearing Shirley Marmor say something about his special sunscreen over the phone when they were discussing Chester staying over a few days earlier.

"I think so," shrugged the white raccoon boy again. "I think it's in my pack somewhere. But I don't know if I wanna go out there. I want to know what happened to Duke..."

Melissa knew that she and Michael had seen this tape many times and knew exactly what would happen in the next story, but this was Chester's first time seeing it, so he had no idea what was going to happen. Still, she knew the tape wasn't going anywhere; they could always get back to watching it after tending to the garden. "It's okay, Chester. The tape will still be here when we come back in! You can find out what happened next later..."

"Okay..."

"C'mon! Let's go, Mom!" Michael chirped happily, tugging on his mother's tank top. He was _quite_ eager to help his Mom out.

"We'll be heading out there soon, my little cutie pie," she tenderly patted him on the head.

Instantly, Michael blushed, feeling embarrassed she called him that in front of his friend. "Mommy!"

"Oh, I'm sorry, sweetheart," Melissa chuckled. "I forgot that you don't like being called that when others are around..."

Chester couldn't help but giggle a little. "Cutie pie, huh?"

Michael groaned. "I bet your Mom calls you funny names too!"

Chester nodded knowingly. "She does, she does..."

"Well, c'mon, boys!" Melissa called out as she exited the bedroom and headed down the hall towards the stairs. "We've got quite a bit of watering to do!"

"Coming, Mommy!" Michael said as he ran out to follow her. "Peanut, are you coming?"

Peanut opened her eyes, but quickly closed them again. It was rather clear she had no intention of going anywhere...Michael turned back to Chester, who was now fiddling with the pack he brought with him. "Are you coming, Chester?"

"I'll be down soon," he nodded as he continue to fumble around in his pack. "I've just got to find my sunscreen so I don't burn..."

"OK, Chester," his friend beamed. "Do you know where the vegetable garden is?"

"Of course; I saw it when Mama and Papa dropped me off!" he laughed. "I'll be down in a bit!"

* * *

Soon, Michael and Melissa were in the vegetable garden together, tending to the tomatoes. They had filled up the watering can from the spigot on the side of their tree home, and were giving the succulent red fruit some much needed water.

"I wonder if any of these will be a prize-winner, Mommy?" the young kit curiously asked his mother.

"I guess we'll see. With a little loving care, we might have one!"

At this moment, Chester walked out to join the two in the garden, having finished putting on his sunscreen. "I still don't know if I should stay out here real long, Mrs. Raccoon..."

"Don't worry!" beamed Melissa to the albino kit. "We won't be here long. Just going to water the tomatoes and plant some carrots!"

"Plant carrots?" Chester groaned. "You didn't say we were gonna do that..."

"Mom found some seeds in the kitchen," Michael smiled.

"I brought some gloves for you too, Chester. Lots of bugs around here and you never know what might try to bite you!" explained Melissa as she handed Chester the smaller pair of gloves, a spare pair for Michael.

"Ooh, I know. What if a spider tries to bite me? I hate spiders..." Chester shuddered a little.

"Well, hopefully, nothing'll happen," Melissa tried to encourage the albino raccoon, as she handed Michael the watering can so he could sprinkle a bit on some of the tomatoes.

"Chester, did I tell you I once won a prize at the Fall Fair?" Michael happily chirped to his friend.

"I think you did," he shrugged. "What was it for?"

"It was for a tomato!" Michael giggled. "Mom hung it up on our fridge."

"He won the prize for the largest tomato," explained Melissa. "He's hoping one of these tomatoes will be a prize-winner too. You should have seen him, Chester, he was so excited when the judges picked his tomato!"

"I bet," the albino raccoon remarked. "I remember Mama won a prize last year. She won it for the best pie."

"I remember that," the older raccoon nodded. "Chester, are you excited for the Fall Fair?"

"No, not really," Chester shook his head.

"Why not? I can't wait! Mommy and Daddy said I could help put up Mr. Schaeffer's booth this year!" Michael certainly seemed quite excited for the Fair this year.

"Oh, well, it's just that...I don't like the Ferris wheel," Chester sighed as his young friend handed him the watering can. "I got sick on it last year..."

"Well, Chester, you know you don't have to ride the Ferris Wheel if it makes you sick," remarked Melissa. "I'm sure you'll still have fun..."

"I guess," sighed Chester.

Soon, the trio had finished watering the tomatoes, and now it was time for them to plant the carrot seeds. Melissa handed Michael a spade. "Here, Michael. I think you can handle digging up the dirt?"

"Of course, Mommy!" Michael proudly said as he proceeded to dig at a patch of dirt.

Melissa smiled as she opened up one of the carrot seed packs. "Boy, Ralph was right. It sure is a lovely day outside today, isn't it, boys?"

"It sure is!" Chester managed to smile. "I just hope my skin doesn't burn..."

"Yeah, it's a very nice day!" Michael smiled. "Mommy, can you please give me some seeds?"

"Of course, Michael. Since you asked nicely," his mother grinned as she passed him a seed. Michael dropped it in the hole and began to pile the dirt back on top of the now planted seed.

"Say, Mommy?" Michael glanced back up at his mother.

"What is it, honey?"

"Mom...Are you going to tell me more about your family soon...?" he asked her in his most innocent, cute tone.

Melissa sighed. She was fully anticipating him asking her about that again. "...Micheal, you know you've asked me that maybe...ten times in the past couple weeks?" she let out a chuckle.

"Yeah, but I want to know, Mom!" Michael pleaded. "You told me about them that one night! I want to know more about them!"

"Michael, honey, you know I told you I would tell you more one day, right?" she tried to dissuade him.

"I would like to know about your family, Mrs. Raccoon," Chester spoke up, now evidently interested in what she had to say.

"C'mon, Mommy! Please...?" Michael gave her his cutest face.

Melissa thought about what Ralph had told her earlier...and even though she was still not sure it was a good idea considering her son could be a little sensitive, she figured maybe it wouldn't hurt to let him know a little more about her family history. " _Besides,_ " thought Melissa, " _how can I say no to that adorable little face?"_ "Okay, Michael. I suppose I'll tell you a little bit about my family...What do you want to know?"

"Tell me more about your uncle!" chirped the kit. "You told me you had an uncle. What was he like...?"

"Well," Melissa placed a finger to her chin, thinking of how she could explain things to the two kits..."First of all, Michael, I have told you I haven't always lived in the Forest, have I?"

"I think so."

"You didn't, Mrs. Raccoon?" queried Chester.

"No, I didn't. In fact...I'm not from Canada, originally."

Michael was surprised. He had no idea his mother was not a native-born Canadian. "You're not from Canada? Where did you come from, Mom?"

"Well, I was born in America," explained his mother.

"America?" Chester raised an eyebrow. "Is that the country we're neighbors with?" Chester hadn't learned much about geography yet, but he did know that.

"Yes, it is. That's where I was born, and that's where I lived when I was about you boys' age."

"Where did you live in America, Mom?" asked her son.

"I grew up in a place called Kentucky," responded Melissa.

"Ken...tucky...?" Chester tilted his head, confused by what she had just said. "What's...Kentucky...?" It was clear he had never heard that name before in his life.

"Is that one of the US states?" Michael asked. He knew a little more about geography than his friend; Melissa had personally taught him a bit about America as well as his home country.

"Yes, it is. That's where me, my father, and my uncle lived. I can show it to you boys on a map if you like."

"What was your uncle's name, Mrs. Raccoon?" Chester asked.

"Scott," exclaimed Melissa, remembering him fondly. "He owned a junkyard and loved to work on cars in his spare time."

"Uncle Scott?" Michael was now intrigued, he could hardly believe his mother was letting him know so much more about herself and her family. "What was he like, Mommy?"

"Your great-uncle...was a wonderfully funny man," chuckled Melissa. She could hear his laugh in her mind right then and there, and though it made her smile, it also made her feel a little depressed knowing how he met his end..."He was always laughing and playing jokes on people. He loved to tease your grandpa, his big brother..."

"What happened to him, Mom?" Michael wanted to know. "You said I'm your only family..."

Chester was confused. "What do you mean, Mikey?"

"Mommy told me all her family is gone," his friend informed him, a bit sadly. "I'm all she's got..."

"Oh, that sounds bad, Mikey..." the albino kit glanced down at the ground. "I can't imagine not having a family..."

"Your great-uncle Scott...he...He died many years ago, Mikey..." sighed Melissa. It was very hard for her to tell him that.

"Why? What happened...?"

"I was just a little girl when he died," she went on, slowly. "He...He was killed in a war, Mikey..."

"Killed in a war?!" Michael was shocked, he had not expected anything like that. He knew what war _was_...at least, the very basics of it, and the thought of it scared him a little. But he felt he wanted to know more. "How did that happen...?"

Melissa noticed Michael's surprise, but she could still see his natural curiosity shining through anyway. " _He reminds me so much of myself when I was a kit..._ " "He didn't want to fight in the war, but he didn't have a choice. People made him fight anyways. He died a hero, though," she explained. "The last thing he did before he died was save a friend's life..."

"People can make you fight in wars?" exclaimed Chester in surprise.

"In America, they could back then," responded Melissa. "That's how I ended up here. Those same people were trying to make him fight as well. They were going to take me away from him, and he took me to Canada so they couldn't do that..."

The very thought that their parents could possibly be taken away from them forever by strange people scared the two kits more than a little. Nonetheless, Michael was at least glad he knew more about his mother's side of the family than he did before. "...Is that when you met Daddy, Mommy?" he asked, curiously.

Melissa giggled. "Heheh, no, honey! Haven't I told you before? I didn't meet your father until I was much older," she chuckled. But she did notice the worried expressions on the kits' faces. "I really hope I didn't upset you boys too much telling you that...?"

"I'm a little upset," Michael admitted, which was what Melissa had been worried about. Her facial expression sank immediately. "But I'm glad you told me more, Mommy...I didn't know bad things like that happened to you and your family..."

"My life hasn't always been great," she sighed, "but at least everything worked out. I'm happy with how things are going now," she smiled.

"Can you tell me more about your family later?" her son asked, hopefully.

Melissa was relieved that it hadn't seemed to bother him _that_ much, and that perhaps it wouldn't be a bad idea to let him gradually know more details as time passed. Perhaps he _could_ handle it. "Sure thing, sweetheart," she smiled brightly as she patted him on his head and tussled with his fur. "Let me know when you want to know more, and I promise I'll tell you more..."

"Thanks, Mom..."

"No problem, Mikey," smiled his mother as she gently squeezed him. Michael hugged her back, although he _was_ more than a little embarrassed for his mother to lavish so much affection on him in front of his friend...

"Your story was very sad, Mrs. Raccoon," remarked Chester. "But can we please hurry up? I'm gonna burn!" he groaned. He thought he could already start to feel his snowy-white skin getting overheated, even with his sunscreen.

Melissa chuckled. Everyone had stopped while she'd been telling her story; it was probably a good idea to hurry up and finish planting. "Okay, Chester. Let's finish planting these carrots!"

"Alright!" Michael beamed happily as he took his spade and dug another hole for a seed.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the suburbs of a city, far, _far_ away from the Evergreen Forest...

A middle-aged male raccoon sighed as he entered his house, put up his work hat on the rack, and sat down in his favorite old recliner chair. He glanced out the window of his house at the rest of the small cul-de-sac he lived in. It was certainly a very lovely day outside, and normally, he would quite enjoy relaxing in the afternoon summer sun after a long day at his job. But not today. His mind was focused on his own personal dilemma...

" _For all my life, I've wondered...who my family really was_ ," he sighed. The raccoon had not had the best of childhoods; he'd grown up without a father. He never saw him, and his mother had gotten re-married when he was about four. Still, she kept a picture of his father, and he remembered how, as a very young kit, he asked her who he was and what happened to him, as he hoped to one day meet him. He also remembered how when he was just a boy, he always had hope his real father would come back someday for him...

But "someday" never came. When he had gotten a little bit older, his mother told him that his father was dead, and had died before he was ever born. She wouldn't tell him until much older that he was a soldier in a war, and how he had been killed in combat. He never found out until he was a teenager that he shared a middle name with his dead dad. But what had bothered him even more was how his mother had revealed to him as a teenager that his father had an older brother, and a daughter a few years older than he was. He wondered where they were and asked her about them. " _But she never told me any more than that,_ " he mused to himself. For years, all he knew was that he had an uncle and a big cousin who almost _definitely_ did not know of his very existence. How could that be? Was there some secret she was trying to keep from him?

Back in March, one of the saddest and most depressing moments of his life occurred; his mother had died of pancreatic cancer. He had been at her bedside during her final hours, and he decided to try asking her again about his lost family. " _I can't believe...she told me their names,_ " he managed to smile a bit, propping his head up with one paw. He also asked where they were and what happened to them, and she explained that she heard from the real estate agent who sold her and his stepfather their house that they had moved to Canada as a result of the war; apparently the agent was a friend of his uncle's. Now that he had names, he had the opportunity to do some research, and perhaps find out where they lived and what had happened to them.

So in his spare time at work, the raccoon had done some searching on a genealogy website he decided to sign up for shortly after his mother's passing, using the names he was given. He had been disappointed to discover that, according to the records, his uncle had died nearly a decade ago. But his heart had skipped a beat when he discovered that his cousin was still alive!

He had managed to do some more research on her, and found out some more basic info about his lost cousin. He knew her name, her date of birth, and her phone number. It had taken some help from a private investigator to obtain some of that info. " _There's a nice chunka change I'm never gonna get back,_ " he sighed. " _But at least it was money well spent!_ " He also knew she was married with a young son nearly the same age as his own child, and that she and her husband were evidently the owners and proprietors of some local community newspaper, which he had been able to find a website for. The website had pictures of the paper's owners and staff, and when he saw her picture on the website, he noticed enough little similarities between their physical appearances that there was no virtually _no_ doubt in his mind. " _We definitely share blood.._ _._ "

Now that he had a bit of an idea who she was...he wanted to get in touch with her. He had her phone number thanks to the private investigator, which made it possible for him to perhaps get in touch with her. He felt he _needed_ to get to know her, as he had missed out on many years of possibly getting to interact with her. Plus, it would perhaps help give him a better picture of who he really was as an individual. If he could get in touch with her, it was maybe, just maybe possible, she could come down to visit him and meet him in person, and perhaps their families could get to know one another...

He took a piece of paper out of his shirt pocket. There was her phone number, alright, written down in case he did want to call her. It would be _so_ easy to do so; the phone was sitting right next to the couch near his recliner. He could just get up and dial her right now. " _But would it be such a good idea?_ "

He remembered how he had discussed this with his beloved wife. " _The Mrs. didn't think it was that good a plan,_ " he sighed again, glancing up at the ceiling. He could still remember what she told him when he brought it up with her. " _I don't know if that's a bright idea, darling. She could very well think you're some sort of stalker trying to hunt her down and hang up on you..._ " His wife had quite a point; there was certainly quite a chance she wouldn't even listen to him or would get the wrong impression about him; that he actually meant her harm and hang up on him. _"_ _Or she could just figure I'm one of those telemarketers an' ignore me completely...Not likely she gets too many calls from here!_ " Besides, she lived in another country entirely, so he knew he would probably be facing a long-distance charge on his telephone bill if he called her...

His friends and his workmates, however, had felt differently. They thought it _was_ a good idea for him to get in touch with her through the phone. "I remember how they said they thought it wasn't fair how I never got to know her," the raccoon remarked. Well...one of his oldest friends hadn't been so supportive, saying that the government would monitor his phone call and possibly use it against him, and that he should try communicating with her _telepathically_ instead, even going so far as to offer to teach him how to do it as he _claimed he knew how to_. "But that's just him. He's not so bad when his mind isn't all focused on the government being out to get him..."

The raccoon twiddled his fingers. Was it a good idea to call her...or not? He normally wasn't a very nervous man; his wife had always admired his confidence. But in this scenario...he was not sure what felt like the _right_ thing to do. "Hmm...what to do, what to do, what to do..." he tapped his forehead, trying to think of what was the right thing to do.

Finally, after a few minutes, he made his mind up. The raccoon got up and sat on the couch, picked the phone off the receiver, and prepared to start dialing the written-down phone number. "Well, I guess this is it, ol' boy...Let's see what happens..." He just hoped he wouldn't give her a heart attack or anything...

* * *

Back at the Raccoondominium, Melissa, Michael, and Chester had finished tending to the vegetable garden, and now they had gone back inside. Chester fortunately hadn't burned as he worried he would; his sunscreen had protected him. Now the two boys were back upstairs in Michael's room, finishing watching that _Thomas_ tape they had been in the middle of watching when she asked them to help her.

Melissa was sitting on the couch of the Raccoondominum, reading one of her romance novels and having a nice little dill pickle snack. "Ralph's still not home yet," Melissa remarked; it had been well over an hour since he left for his little walk. But then again, she knew he would be back not too long from now. "He'd never miss his supper!" she chuckled. Besides, he said he was perhaps going to visit Bert and Maxie, so it would be understandable if he took a while to come back. In hindsight, Melissa now kind of wished she had decided to go with him and taken the two boys as well. "Too late for that now, though!" she sighed. "Perhaps another day..."

Melissa was feeling in a much better mood now; spending some time with her son and his little friend really brightened up her day. She really liked seeing Michael's enthusiasm for their vegetable garden; she felt confident that one day, when he was a grown man, he would have his own vegetable garden he would tend to well. Plus, she was rather glad that he hadn't been _too_ upset about learning more about his unfortunate family past, as she worried he might be. "He seemed to handle that pretty well," she murmured to herself. "I suppose it isn't such a bad idea to let him know more about my family at a young age...Like Ralph said, at least he has a better idea of who he really is," she managed to smile.

Melissa was flipping through her romance novel when suddenly, the familiar sound of the telephone ringing. "I wonder who that could be?" Rather than waiting to hear the caller ID, she scooted over towards the phone placed on the new coffee table next to the sofa. She glanced over at the number. It was _not_ one she recognized. It looked like it was almost certainly an American number. To add to that, it also said the number was an out of area number.

" ** _CALL FROM OUT OF AREA,_** " the loud and rather obnoxious mechanical voice came from the answering machine. In hindsight, Melissa thought, perhaps it had _not_ been such a good idea to get a phone that actually talked...

" _It's probably either a telemarketer or just a wrong number,_ " Melissa quickly thought. " _I'll just tell them I'm not interested and hang up_." Melissa didn't know why, but today she felt like at least being polite and answering the phone...

So she hit the answer button and placed the phone to her ear. She half-expected to hear the voice of a machine talking to her, but was instead a little surprised to hear an actual person's voice. "Hello there...?" It was the voice of a man, who had a bit of a Southern American twang to his voice. Not _too_ heavy, but noticeable.

Of course, Melissa didn't recognize who this was. It _had_ to be a wrong number. "Hello, I'm sorry, sir," she politely began. "I believe you've dialed the-" But before she could finish her statement, he interrupted her with something that caught her completely off guard.

"I'm lookin' for a Melissa Raccoon." the man explained. Melissa was now confused. So this wasn't a wrong number? This was someone who wanted to speak to her? Who could it be? "Would this be her?"

"...Huh...?" Melissa uttered aloud. She felt more than a little confused. She didn't know this phone number at _all_ , yet this man seemed to know who she was. How could this be? She was hesitant to answer him. "...Yes, this is Melissa Raccoon. But I have no idea who you are. How did you get my number?" she queried the strange man.

"I _knew_ this was the right number," the man breathed a rather relieved-sounding sigh over the other end of the line. "I don't mean to scare you, ma'am...but...I'm glad I finally got in touch with you! I have been waiting many years for this..." he remarked, rather nervously.

Now Melissa was even more perplexed than ever. Perhaps even a little scared. Was this someone who had been secretly stalking her? She worried that in being polite, she may have just subjected herself to some _seriously_ unwanted attention. What had she been thinking? "W-who are you...?" she replied, sounding very shaky. She was quite concerned over what he might say.

What the strange man said next, however, would confuse her even more, and nearly floor her when she realized what he actually _said_. "Melissa...my name is Stuart," explained the man gently, yet also a bit shaky in tone. "I know you might not believe me when I say this, but I called you because...I...I'm your _cousin_ , Melissa..."

It took a moment for "Stuart's" statement to sink in, but when it did...well, Melissa's jaw nearly hit the floor.

"Wha...w-whaaaaa...?"

 **END CHAPTER TWO**


End file.
